Light travels at an approximate rate of 1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec. There are about 3.2 x 10^7 seconds in a year. About how many miles does light travel in a year? Write the answer in scientific notation. Express the answer to the exact decimal place.

1 answer

To find the distance light travels in a year, we can multiply the speed of light by the number of seconds in a year.

Speed of light = 1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec
Number of seconds in a year = 3.2 x 10^7 seconds

Distance traveled in a year = (1.9 x 10^5 mi./sec) x (3.2 x 10^7 seconds)

This can be simplified using the rules of scientific notation:

(1.9 x 3.2) x (10^5 x 10^7) mi.

= 6.08 x 10^12 mi.

Therefore, light travels approximately 6.08 x 10^12 miles in a year.